This deer was hit high at the top of the front shoulder……just underneath the spine. You can't really see it in this pic. There was a good little spot of blood at the hit site but very little after that. We started finding a little more at about 250 yards into it but that was about it.
We were working up a creek bottom with Otis about 100 yards ahead of when I thought I heard Otis let out a bark. We were moving through some brush making noise so I wasn’t sure if that’s what I heard or not. Otis had crossed the creek and was working the track a little faster but not fast enough that I thought he was running the deer.
Well, me and the hunter made it across the creek and I checked my GPS again to see how far Otis had made it and he was about 150 yards but he was looping back to us. I just assumed it was him checking back in. About that time I look up from my GPS and see this giant buck headed right at me and the hunter with Otis trotting along right behind it. They passed within 5-10 yards of me and the hunter...I was like "Holy chit!!" . Otis had his tongue hung out and just looked over at us like he was smiling as they went by.
I immediately toned Otis back to me and the deer stopped broadside at about 80 yards out. I told the hunter….”Rack a shell into the chamber and finish him.” I guess the hunter was too excited because he missed him 3 times before the deer bounced off again. I could tell the deer was hurtin so I sent Otis back after it. We hadn’t made it 100 yards when I saw Otis stopped and looking up ahead of him in the swamp. The hunter and I eased up to him real quietly and looked around. I was looking way out into the swamp but finally looked over to my right and saw the buck laying dead still in some cypress knees 10 yards from us. The hunter put a fishing shot on him and ended it.
This track reminded me of that scene in Jeremiah Johnson where the old man asked him….”Can you skin grizz pilgrim?” Otis turned this deer and ran him all over us like….”There y’all go….skin that one!!!!” I’m still not sure why he wasn’t barking like hell at the deer. He was just trotting along behind it pushing it to us. One hell of a buck anyways…..easy 200+ lbs. The mass on that one base was bigger than I could reach around with my thumb and middle finger.
. Otis had his tongue hung out and just looked over at us like he was smiling as they went by. 
I’m still not sure why he wasn’t barking like hell at the deer. He was just trotting along behind it pushing it to us. One hell of a buck anyways…..easy 200+ lbs. The mass on that one base was bigger than I could reach around with my thumb and middle finger.
